Written Answers Wednesday 12 January 2011

Scottish Executive

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether all NHS boards are expected to achieve the HEAT target for dementia services by March 2011.

Shona Robison: We anticipate that across Scotland we will exceed the HEAT target to increase the number of people with a diagnosis of dementia by March 2011. Some NHS boards have already met their target and all are working hard towards meeting them by March 2011.

  The most recent information about performance against the HEAT target is available at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/About/scotPerforms/partnerstories/NHSScotlandperformance/Dementia.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what lessons have been learned as a result of not achieving the target, HEAT 3: The Child Healthy Weight Programme.

Shona Robison: All boards have plans in place to deliver their targets. Many are now on, or ahead of, trajectory. One board has already met its target, ahead of schedule. We anticipate that the national target will be met by end March 2011.

  This was a development target and delivering the target has, as expected, generated valuable lessons about how to deliver most effectively. This learning has been incorporated into the guidance for boards to support delivery of the new HEAT target on Child Healthy Weight, 2011-14.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the target for HEAT 3: The Child Healthy Weight Programme has been achieved by each NHS board.

Shona Robison: Data relating to HEAT target H3 are collected quarterly and published annually. The next data publication is due in May 2011.

Health

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-35141 by Nicola Sturgeon on 3 August 2010, whether it has surveyed local authorities on their enforcement of the Public Health etc. (Scotland) Act 2008 (Sunbed) Regulations 2009.

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-35141 by Nicola Sturgeon on 3 August 2010, whether it will assess the impact of the Public Health etc. (Scotland) Act 2008 (Sunbed) Regulations 2009.

Shona Robison: In December 2010, the Scottish Government commissioned Health Protection Scotland to survey local authorities on the enforcement of the Public Health etc. (Scotland) Act 2008 (Sunbed) Regulations 2009 and the results will be made available by the end April 2011.

  This review will help evaluate the implementation of the Public Health etc. (Scotland) Act 2008 (Sunbed) Regulations 2009 by local authorities.

Health

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-35141 by Nicola Sturgeon on 3 August 2010, how many fines have been issued against sunbed salons since the implementation of the Public Health etc. (Scotland) Act 2008 (Sunbed) Regulations 2009.

Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-38309 on 12 January 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at  www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx .

  The survey of local authority enforcement of the Public Health etc. (Scotland) Act 2008 (Sunbed) Regulations 2009 includes a question on the number of fines issued to sunbed premises since the regulations came into force on 1 December 2009. The results will be made available by the end of April 2011.

Health

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-35141 by Nicola Sturgeon on 3 August 2010, whether any sunbed salons have closed as a result of the implementation of the Public Health etc. (Scotland) Act 2008 (Sunbed) Regulations 2009.

Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-38309 on 12 January 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx .

  The survey referred to in that answer will seek to establish whether there has been any change to the number of sunbed premises in Scotland since the Public Health etc. (Scotland) Act 2008 (Sunbed) Regulations 2009 came into force. The results will be made available by the end of April 2011.

Health

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-35141 by Nicola Sturgeon on 3 August 2010, what information it plans to collect on the implementation of the Public Health etc. (Scotland) Act 2008 (Sunbed) Regulations 2009.

Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-38309 on 12 January 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at  www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx .

  In addition to a survey of all Scottish local authorities referred to in that answer, Health Protection Scotland is also undertaking a survey of a cross section of sunbed premises in order to gauge how businesses are complying with the legislation and whether there have been any difficulties with implementing the statutory requirements.

  Furthermore, the Scottish Government is in discussion with Cancer Research UK to determine whether they can undertake some additional work with sunbed users, to explore social norms concerning sunbed use, such as whether under 18s have changed their perceptions and/or actions as a result of the regulations.

Health

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-35141 by Nicola Sturgeon on 3 August 2010, whether it is monitoring the implementation of the Public Health etc. (Scotland) Act 2008 (Sunbed) Regulations 2009.

Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to questions S3W-38309 and S3W-38312 on 12 January 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will achieve its target of 6,317 completed child healthy weight interventions by the end of the three year programme, given that no more than 1,584 were achieved in the first two years.

Shona Robison: HEAT 3 was a development target which required NHS boards to set up what were, in the majority of cases, entirely new services. It was therefore expected that much of the delivery would be in the second half of the three-year target period. This has proved to be the case.

  To ensure maximum support for boards the Scottish Government appointed a Child Healthy Weight National Co-ordinator within the Scottish Government in January 2010.

  As a result of the efforts of boards, supported by the steps the Scottish Government has taken, we anticipate successful delivery of the target by end March 2011.

Health

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-37826 by Nicola Sturgeon on 10 December 2010, how many patients were sent to pain management centres outside of Scotland; from which areas, and to which centres.

Nicola Sturgeon: The following table sets out the number of patients, by NHS board, who were referred to pain management centres outside of Scotland in 2008-09, 2009-10 and in 2010-11 (up to 14 September 2010). In all cases, patients were referred to the Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, in Bath.

  

NHS Board
2008 - 09
2009 -10
2010 -11 (to 14 September 2010)


Ayrshire and Arran
2
2
2


Borders
0
0
0


Dumfries and Galloway
0
0
0


Fife
3
3
1


Forth Valley
0
0
2


Grampian
7
2
8


Greater Glasgow and Clyde
1
0
2


Highland
1
2
1


Lanarkshire
2
0
1


Lothian
1
0
0


Tayside
6
9
4


Orkney
0
0
0


Shetland
0
0
0


Western Isles
0
0
0


Total
23
18
21

Health

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-37826 by Nicola Sturgeon on 10 December 2010, when chronic pain patients can expect to have a residential pain management centre in Scotland similar to centres in England.

Nicola Sturgeon: This is being considered as part of the service model for chronic pain being developed by the Chronic Pain Steering Group.

Mental Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when the waiting time target will be introduced for psychological therapies.

Shona Robison: The HEAT targets for 2011-12 were published in the Local Delivery Plan Guidance on 1 December 2010. This included a HEAT target to improve access to mental health services by delivering 18-week referral-to-treatment for psychological therapies from December 2014.

Mental Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason the 18-week referral-to-treatment target will not apply for psychological therapies until December 2014.

Shona Robison: The target to reduce the time from referral to treatment for a psychological therapy to 18 weeks will be included in the HEAT targets for the first time from April 2011, to be achieved by December 2014. While NHS boards have made good progress in improving access to psychological therapies since 2006, and some are already providing access to some psychological therapies within 18 weeks, they will have to do some service redesign to increase their capacity to deliver a range of appropriate psychological therapies, including ensuring that they have sufficient staff who are trained and competent to deliver psychological therapies and to provide clinical supervision. In order to meet the target boards will also have to develop their information systems to measure waiting times and track progress.

NHS Staff

Andy Kerr (East Kilbride) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many specialist nursing or occupational therapist roles supporting people with autism exist in NHS Scotland.

Nicola Sturgeon: Information on the number of specialist nursing or occupational therapist roles supporting people with autism is not captured separately in the workforce statistics. NHS National Service Scotland, Information Services Division (ISD) publish data annually as at 30 September. Information showing the head count and whole-time equivalent of clinical nurse specialists by specialty, including mental illness, by NHS board is available at:

  http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/servlet/FileBuffer?namedFile=Clinical%20Nurse%20Specialists%202010.xls&pContentDispositionType=attachment

  Information on allied health professionals, including occupational therapy staff, by NHS board is available at http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/5332.html

  Latest published information is at 30 September 2010.

NHS Staff

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many physiotherapists are employed by NHS Tayside expressed as (a) headcount and (b) full-time equivalent.

Nicola Sturgeon: NHS Workforce data is published by NHS National Services Scotland, Information Services Division (ISD). Information showing the number of physiotherapy staff employed by NHS board at 30 September 2010 is available at:

  http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/servlet/FileBuffer?namedFile=Allied%20health%20professions%202010.xls&pContentDispositionType=attachment.

Older People

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what is being done to achieve the HEAT target of reducing emergency bed days for people over 65.

Shona Robison: The HEAT target is framed to encourage the development of proactive community support; planning ahead to manage anticipated crises; earlier access to specialist assessment and treatment at home, in the accident and emergency unit or within hospital, and better co-ordination of health and social care support to enable a timely, safe and supported return home.

  The Scottish Government is allocating £70 million from within the NHS budget to a Change Fund in 2011-12 which will enable NHS boards and partner local authorities, together with the third and independent sectors, to redesign services in support of improved care outcomes for the growing older population. The Change Fund will assist partners in achieving the HEAT target and in ensuring older people receive the best possible care whenever they need it.

  Guidance issued jointly by the Scottish Government and COSLA on accessing this fund requires all partnerships, by 28 February 2011, to prepare and submit Change Plans setting down how their allocation will be used to achieve a shift in the balance of care. We will work closely with partnerships to develop these plans.

Planning

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the minimum standards for pre-application consultation as set out in planning regulations are being complied with in all cases.

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the minimum standards for pre-application consultation as set out in planning regulations are adequate.

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what recourse exists for communities seeking to oppose a planning application where minimum standards of pre-application consultation have not been met.

John Swinney: This is a matter for individual planning authorities. Planning legislation specifies that if an applicant has not complied with the statutory requirements for pre-application consultation (PAC), or any additional requirements requested by the planning authority, the planning authority cannot process the planning application.

  Where members of the public feel their concerns about the proposal itself have not been addressed by the prospective applicant as a result of PAC, they should make representations to the planning authority on the eventual application. The authority can give due consideration to such representations when deciding whether or not to grant planning permission.

Vulnerable Groups

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the proposed start date will be for the new Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme and how much advance notification will be given of the start of the scheme

Adam Ingram: The Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme will start in February 2011. This follows an announcement on 3 November 2010 to delay commencement of the scheme from the planned date of 30 November 2010 to February 2011. The date of 30 November 2010 was previously announced on 29 June 2010 providing five months notice for stakeholders. The delay until February 2011 will provide a further two to three months preparation time. The specific date in February will be announced shortly.

Vulnerable Groups

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the updated code of practice for the new Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme will be ready.

Adam Ingram: The Code of Practice is published by the Scottish ministers under Section 122 of the Police Act 1997. It is currently being revised for the introduction of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme in February 2011, at which point the revised Code of Practice will be formally published, laid in the Scottish Parliament and come into force.

  The revised Code of Practice will be made available on Disclosure Scotland’s website in mid-January, in advance of coming into force, to assist registered persons in preparing for the PVG Scheme.

Vulnerable Groups

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans there are for marketing and publicity of the new Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme to the (a) voluntary sector, (b) public sector and (c) general public.

Adam Ingram: Since the bill was first introduced to the Scottish Parliament, the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme has been the subject of wide ranging communications and consultation activities with the voluntary, public and private sectors across Scotland.

  Communications activities have included information events, both open and targeted to specific interests, publication of a regular newsletter and web-based materials and editorial and direct mail activities.

  A comprehensive package of guidance and training materials, developed in partnership with a group of representatives from the public and voluntary sectors, has been available and publicised since summer 2010. Also since the summer 2010, Disclosure Scotland has been operating a PVG telephone and email helpline service dealing with specific queries. A parallel service has been operating for the voluntary sector via the Central Registered Body in Scotland (CRBS).

  All of these materials have targeted the public, private and voluntary sectors using an extensive database of over 9,000 contacts which is added to daily by individuals and organisations registering on the PVG Scheme information website.

  Additional support has been made available to the voluntary sector through CRBS, which provides information, support and training to third sector groups and organisations. To date, more than 1,400 people who work and volunteer with vulnerable groups have attended PVG Scheme training sessions run by CRBS.

  In the run up to commencement, public awareness raising activities include advertising in the Scottish daily press, editorials in local press, adverts on local radio and also direct mailing, web and public relations activities to reach less visible groups and organisations.

Weather

Elaine Smith (Coatbridge and Chryston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what contingency plans were put in place to assist the NHS and emergency services in reaching people in need in Coatbridge and Chryston during the recent severe weather conditions.

Nicola Sturgeon: NHS Lanarkshire put in place a number of continuity measures to ensure staff were fully supported in reaching patients during the recent severe weather conditions.

  The board identified key clinical staff and their home addresses so that they could be reallocated to their closest place of work. This allowed them to minimise the numbers of staff having to travel any significant distance, while still maintaining business continuity in the key areas.

  They also identified staff with four-wheel-drive (4x4) vehicles which assisted in transporting other staff to and from hospitals, health centres and other work places, as well as assisting with transport for home visits, specimen collection and other key work.

  Additional 4x4 vehicles from NHS Lanarkshire’s out-of-hours service and Property and Support Services Department were used to assist in transportation. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency also used their 4x4 vehicles to help staff get to work. Discussions took place with the British Red Cross and the Army to have additional 4x4 vehicles on standby.

  The board worked with North Lanarkshire Council to request targeting road gritting and clearing for patients requiring dialysis.

  In the community, the focus was on the provision of clinical support to the most vulnerable patients including elderly people, insulin dependent diabetic patients, and patients with palliative care needs. District nursing teams and palliative care teams walked to patients in estates which were inaccessible by cars due to the weather.

  NHS Lanarkshire also introduced a service to deliver medicines and dressings to patients within the community where these were urgently required. This was in addition to the usual delivery service provided by community pharmacies, and was targeted at patients who had no other means of receiving their medication.